Silo-door.



H. H. PUGH.

SILO DOOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28.39161 RENEWED FEB. 19. l9l8- In venm" Patentedl Apr. 30, 1918.

invrrn srar rfirir o inion.

HARRY'H. HUGH, OE TOPEKA, KANSAS.

sine-noon.

Specification of Lettersl atent. latgntgfl A pp,

Application filed February 38, 1916, Serial No. 80,867. Renewed February w, 1918. SerialNo. 218,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be t knownthat I, HAnnY H. PUGH, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Silo-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to silo doors of the vertically swinging :type and has to do in particular with the suspension whereby the door is opened and closed; The main object of my invention is economy; that is to say, it is the object to equipthe door with a suspension that is strong, durable, ellicient, and simple, and as well convenient in operation, at a minimum cost.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the description of the drawings I have shown my inventionin its preferred form and what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof, and itis to be Understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, I-contemplate changes inform, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing fronrthe spirit of my invention. t

Figure 1 is an outside elevation of one complete door equipped With niyiniproved suspension, together with adjacent portions of the door frame, and parts of adjacent doors. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on a plane 1 is the body of the silo and 5, are the door jambs which project outwardly. These jambs are preferably continuous from the.

bottom to the top of the silo, and are connected at intervals by crosspieces 20, so as to form a seriesof rabbeted door openings 6, 6. The rabbeting is on the inner side, and the door 7 is fitted therein so to be, when closed, substantially flush with the inner side of the wall, in order to offer no obstruction to the proper settling of the silo contents. Secured on the outer side of the door and extending from top to bottom thereof adjacent to the respective jambs, are the two braces or cleats 8, 8. The two straps 9, 9 are secured to the outer face of these braces or cleats above the vertical middle of the door, to form bearings for the suspension rod 10, which 1S horizontally disposed in and between said bearings. Immediately outside each of saidl'ieai'ings, the rod turns-at a right angle to the rod 10 and extends angularly upward and away from the door, as indicated at 11, 1'1. outwardly extending portions are then bowed inwardly in general semi-circular form, as indicated at 12, 12 and then ex.- tended in directions opposite to each other and parallel with the portion 10, as indicated at 13, 13. The two portions 13, 13

are in horizontal alineinent with each other andfor n the axis or pivots on which" the Said portions 13, 13 have suspension turns. their hearings in thetwo a nbs respectively.

One of theportions 13 has a crankarm 15 rigidly secured there-to outside the amb,

position engagedbythelatch or catch'17.

To releasethe crank arm from the catch 16 it is only necessary to press it slightly to the right (viewed in Fig. 1). The downward swing of the crank arm causes the horizontal portion 10 of the suspension to swing inward and upwardly against the inner face These upwardly and of the silo above the door opening, while the f bowed portion extends down around the.

lintel 9.0 at the top of the opening. This leaves the opening substantially unobstructed. The catch 17 holds the door in its open position. To close the door, the operation is reversed; that is, the crank arm released from the catch and. swung upward and engaged by the catch 16. There is some springinessin the crank arm, and the parts are so adjusted that the crank arm engages the catch 16 under some degree of pressure so as to hold the door tightly closed.

By placing the bearings 9, 9 on the outside face of the door and above the middle. thereby locating the center of gravity below and inwardly from these hearings, the door, when not otherwise influenced tends to tilt its lower end outwardly and its upper end inwardly; and this tilting serves when opening the doorto clear its upper end from the I contiguous lintel, and when closing the door the tilting serves to bring the lower end of the door into the side rabbeting to seat itself; so that the opening and closing can be accompl shed by the mere mampulatmn 1 of the crank arm, without by hand or otherwise guiding the door, either out of or into 1 its seat.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. In combination with a silo door and door frame having outwardly projecting jambs and inwardly facing rabbeting, said door fitting in said rabbeting; of bearings secured on the front face of said door above the middle thereof, a rod having a horizontal portion mounted in said bearings,

said rod being turned at right angles to said horizontal portion outside said bearings and exending thence angularly upwardly and outwardly and thence bowed inwardly and thence extending in opposite direct-ions to form a pair of horizontally alined pivots a rod formed with a horizontal portion mountedin said bearings, portions on oppoflopies of this patent may be obtained for site sides of said bearings turned upwardly and outwardly therefrom and said upturned portions being bowed inwardly and downwardly and terminating in horizontally alined pivot members bearing in the frame jambs above the lintel; a crank arm secured to one of said pivot members; and means for holding the crank arm in adjusted positions; said door being adapted to be swung inwardly and upwardly by the inward and upward swing of the suspension member on its said pivots to open said door, and said bowed portion extending down under the lintel when the door is in open position.

3. In combination with a silo door and frame; of a rod formed, with a horizontal portion having pivotal connection with the door above its center of gravity and extending upwardly and outwardly from said bearing and thence bowed in ardly and terminating in horizontally alined pivot members pivotally mounted in the frame adjacent to the top of the door; a crank arm secured to said rod for operating the same; and means for holding the crank arm in adjusted position.

4. A suspension device for silo doors, comprising the combination of a rod formed with a horizontal portion adapted to be pivotally secured to a silo door above its center of gravity, upwardly and outwardly extending portions continuing from the opposite ends of said horizontal portion, the upper ends of said upwardly and outwardly extending portions being bowed inwardly and downwardly and terminating in horizontally alined pivot members adapted to be pivotally mounted in the door frame above the lintel; together with a suitable lever for operating said rod.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

[HARRY H. PUGH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

